Medics Financial Services

Global House, Daux Road

Billingshurst. West Sussex, RH14 9SJ
Tel: 01403 780 770 Fax: 01403 780 771 Email: info@medicsfs.com
Medics Financial Services are a trading style of Global Financial Ltd which is a member of Best Practice IFA Group
Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Company registered in England 992704.
Registered ofce: Global House, Daux Road, Billingshurst, West Sussex RH14 9SJ.
Independent Financial Planners

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MINIMISING POTENTIAL TAXES
AND DUTIES ON YOUR DEATH
IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO YOUR PENSION FUNDS, ALLOWING YOU TO TAKE OUT WHAT YOU
WANT, WHEN YOU WANT IT
As your wealth grows, it is inevitable that your estate
becomes more complex. With over 400,000 people now
expected to reach age 75 each year [1], more and more
people could be faced with a 55 per cent tax charge on
any money left in their pension fund when they die.
Free of any death tax
Money saved via a pension can be passed on to a loved
one, usually outside their estate and free of any death tax,
provided the pension fund has not been touched and they
die before age 75. People fortunate enough not to need
immediate access to their personal pension may therefore
decide not to touch those savings for as long as possible.
However, once someone reaches age 75, the death
beneft rules change dramatically and their entire pension
fund may become subject to a 55 per cent tax charge on
death. This means it can become a race against time for
many individuals to reduce the impact of this charge.
Flexible drawdown lifeline
It can take years to move money out of the 55 per
cent death tax environment using capped income
withdrawals due to the set limits on the amount that can
be withdrawn each year. A lifeline can, however, come in
the form of fexible drawdown. Flexible drawdown can
provide people with immediate access to their pension
funds, allowing them to take out what they want, when
they want it. Flexible drawdown is only available to
people who are already receiving 20,000 p.a. minimum
guaranteed pension income which can include their
state pension entitlement.
For individuals who wish to leave as much as possible
to their benefciaries, taking income from their pension
and gifting it to their benefciaries under the normal
expenditure rules will allow certain amounts of money to
be passed to their benefciaries outside their estate.
Passing money outside the estate
This may be more tax-effcient than suffering the 55 per
cent death tax charge, or the 40 per cent Inheritance Tax
charge if the money is simply brought into their estate.
Any money taken out under fexible drawdown will be
subject to income tax, so higher rate tax payers need
to be careful to ensure the money is either passed on
outside their estate tax-effectively or that their estate is
within the annual IHT allowance of 325,000 (2013/14).
This may be particularly relevant for people who are
approaching, or who have already reached, their
75th birthday, especially as many older pension
arrangements will not allow pension savings to continue
to be held beyond that date.
Younger people who have accessed their pension fund,
even if its just to take the lump sum cash, could also be
at risk of the 55 per cent death tax, and could beneft
from moving funds out of this environment as effciently
as possible.
As your wealth
grows, it is
inevitable that your
estate becomes
more complex.
Medics Financial Services
Global House, Daux Road
Billingshurst. West Sussex, RH14 9SJ
Tel: 01403 780 770 Fax: 01403 780 771 Email: info@medicsfs.com
Medics Financial Services are a trading style of Global Financial Ltd which is a member of Best Practice IFA Group
Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Company registered in England 992704.
Registered ofce: Global House, Daux Road, Billingshurst, West Sussex RH14 9SJ.
Independent Financial Planners

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Want to investigate the opportunities
available to you?
The benefts of fexible drawdown should not be
underestimated. Putting off accessing your pension
income could store up problems when you reach age
75. But once someone does access their pension fund,
regardless of age, fexible drawdown can dramatically
help with estate planning. To investigate the opportunities
available to you, please contact us today.
Source
[1] Offce of National Statistics, fgures from 2011 Census.
Flexible drawdown is a complex product. If you are at all uncertain
about its suitability for your circumstances you should seek
professional nancial advice. Your income is not secure. Flexible
drawdown can only be taken once you have nished saving into
pensions. You control and must review where your pension is
invested, and how much income you draw. Poor investment
performance and excessive income withdrawals can deplete the
fund. The fund value may uctuate and can go down as well as up.
You may not get back your original investment. Past performance
is not an indication of future performance. Tax benets may vary
as a result of statutory change and their value will depend on
individual circumstances. This is for your general information
and use only and is not intended to address your particular
requirements. It should not be relied upon in its entirety and shall
not be deemed to be, or constitute, advice. Although endeavours
have been made to provide accurate and timely information,
Goldmine Media cannot guarantee that such information is
accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to
be accurate in the future. No individual or company should act
upon such information without receiving appropriate professional
advice after a thorough examination of their particular situation.
We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or
omissions taken in respect of any articles. Thresholds, percentage
rates and tax legislation may change in subsequent Finance Acts.
The benets of
exible drawdown
should not be
underestimated.
Putting off
accessing your
pension income
could store up
problems when
you reach age 75.